{"product_id":"old-map-of-capitol-reef-utah-by-usgs-1952-fruita-waterpocket-fold-sulphur-creek","title":"Old Map of Capitol Reef, Utah by USGS, 1952 – Fruita, Waterpocket Fold \u0026 Sulphur Creek","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1954 from 1952 mapping, “Notom 4 NW” is a finely observed U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle devoted to one of Utah’s most dramatic high-desert landscapes. At a 1:24,000 topographic scale, it brings Capitol Reef and the country around Notom into close relief, translating cliffs, canyons, washes, benches, and broken ridgelines into a disciplined language of contours and elevation marks. The map belongs to the mid-century era of USGS field cartography, when remote American terrain was being rendered with new precision for science, land management, and navigation. Its subject is a landscape of abrupt verticality: rift-like valleys, sandstone escarpments, and deeply incised drainages shaped by water, uplift, and time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe U.S. Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the central institution for measuring and interpreting the physical fabric of the United States. Maps such as this one were more than navigational aids; they were instruments of national knowledge, linking geology, hydrology, settlement, transportation, and public land stewardship. In “Notom 4 NW,” the USGS’s characteristic clarity is evident in the restrained palette and the primacy of contour work, allowing the eye to read the land almost three-dimensionally. The result is both technical and elegant: a cartographic portrait in which every bend of a wash, every steepening slope, and every named creek contributes to a larger understanding of Capitol Reef’s rugged terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDominating the geography of the sheet is the influence of the Waterpocket Fold, the immense geologic wrinkle that defines Capitol Reef’s identity. This monocline, extending for nearly a hundred miles across south-central Utah, exposes tilted strata, narrow canyons, domes, and reef-like barriers of rock that long challenged travel through the region. The map’s contour lines reveal the fold’s complexity with particular force, showing how elevation shifts suddenly across cliffs and ridges before dissolving into arid basins and drainage corridors. Nearby topographical references, including the distant presence of the Henry Mountains, situate the quadrangle within a broader landscape of uplift, erosion, and isolated desert ranges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHuman presence appears sparingly, which is part of the map’s fascination. Fruita, Notom, Caineville, the Burr Trail corridor, Sulphur Creek, and Oak Creek evoke a frontier geography of orchards, ranch tracks, creek bottoms, and hard-won routes through stone country. Fruita, now beloved for its historic orchards within Capitol Reef, represents one of the few settled pockets in a landscape otherwise governed by canyon walls and seasonal water. Notom and the Burr Trail hint at movement along the eastern side of the fold, where roads and trails threaded between cliffs, washes, and open desert. The contrast between named places and vast unnamed canyons gives the map a powerful sense of remoteness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, “Notom 4 NW” captures Capitol Reef before the rise of extensive tourism infrastructure and before its redesignation as a national park in 1971. It preserves a view of the region when access was limited, communities were small, and the terrain itself remained the dominant fact of life. For modern viewers, the map offers a benchmark against which later conservation, recreation, road building, and land-use changes can be understood. Its beauty lies not only in its precision but in its restraint: a quiet, exacting depiction of one of the American Southwest’s great geological theaters, recorded at a moment when the landscape still felt profoundly remote.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCapitol Reef National Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFruita\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNotom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSulphur Creek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Waterpocket Fold\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHenry Mountains\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCaineville\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBurr Trail\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOak Creek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeveral unnamed peaks and canyons\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical 1:24,000 topographical map produced by the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated in 1952 and published in 1954.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the U.S. Geological Survey, an agency established in 1879 that has played a major role in mapping and studying American landscapes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures clear contour lines and elevation markings that emphasize rugged terrain.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses a muted mid-20th-century USGS color palette to make topographic detail easy to read.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows elevation changes, rift valleys, cliffs, and high desert landforms typical of southern Utah.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides a record of the landscape before extensive development and tourism.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUseful as a reference for understanding later land-use and conservation changes in the Capitol Reef area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58848858472832,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58848858505600,"sku":null,"price":105.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58848858538368,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58848858571136,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58848858603904,"sku":null,"price":105.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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